Something Real
by vkeithley
Summary: After Season 2 episode 5, "Cottonmouth," Ava and Boyd have physical connection.
1. Aftermath

"JUSTIFIED" FANFICTION by vkeithley

**SOMETHING REAL, CHAPTER ONE**

"Ava, I'd like to thank you for coming to my aid in the way that you did. Otherwise, I'd be back in a prison cell contemplating the mistakes of my life. I realize you might face some repercussions. There are those who will sling unkind words at you."

"I don't really care what people say, Boyd. They already think we are sleeping together." Ava was a tough woman, and Boyd appreciated her strength. But strength could be beaten down. He had seen it firsthand.

"But now they will think they know for certain." Boyd looked truly sorry for having put her in such a predicament. Ava still didn't trust Boyd, but she thought he was embarrassed for her.

"If coming to the door in my nightgown, you following me in just your boxer shorts, makes people think we are sleeping together, but it gives you an alibi, and I get to keep that $20 thousand dollars, and keep this house, well, then it's worth it."

Boyd watched Ava's face, his own face still and searching.

"Boyd, don't look at me like that. It makes me uncomfortable."

"It would hurt me to no end to cause you discomfort, Ava." Boyd directed his gaze to the floor. "I'll be outside on the porch."

The screen door opened and closed before Ava could raise her eyes, her cheeks burning.

_What in the hell?_

Tentatively, she called out. "I never thanked you for washing the dishes. The last Crowder man I lived with didn't know a thing about cleaning up after himself."

Outside, Boyd smiled. He owed Ava a lot more than $20 thousand dollars and a few clean dishes. He knew that his brother had been beating her during their marriage, but he had been so busy with his own wrongdoing that he ignored it.

Mentally he chastised himself. _Boyd, be truthful to yourself even if you aren't to anyone else._

In truth, he had ignored Ava's bruises because he had thought she deserved them. Not for any wrongdoing on her part against Bowman. But for the sole fact that she had chosen Bowman over him. Boyd had desired Ava for a long as he could remember—he couldn't say it was love; he wasn't sure—but she had always preferred Bowman's attentions to his own. When the bruises began to show up, Boyd thought, "If she had chosen me, I would never have bruised that beautiful face. She should have chosen me."

Now, Ava had taken him in when he didn't have anywhere else to go.

Boyd couldn't look at her beautiful face without feeling remorse, regret, thankfulness, and another emotion he didn't want to identify. It may have been lust. It may have been just not being with a woman for a long time. It might have been deeper. But he couldn't entertain it. Not one bit. Ava would shoot him through the guts for sure. And she was his brother's widow. They were in Kentucky, but there was no use in being the stereotype.

"Good night, Boyd. I'm off to bed. It's been a long, stressful day." Ava ran a tired hand through her long, blonde hair. Boyd loved watching the way her thick hair waved and bounced in the light.

Working the night shift the way he did, he never got to wish her a good night. His time with her was limited to early mornings during the week, mostly.

"I know that I have been part of that stress and for that I apologize deeply. Good night, Ava."

He spoke sincerely, in deep measured tones. Everything he did these days was slow, thought out, and measured. It was the only way he could keep control. He fought for control now.

He didn't look at Ava. He kept his eyes glued to the wooden boards of her porch. Her perfume drifted to his nose and he inhaled deeply. He didn't hear her footsteps move away. After a minute, he spoke.

"Ava?"

"Hell, Boyd, I'm so keyed up, what with defying the law and all, I know I won't be able to sleep. And my feet hurt something terrible. Working at that salon is pretty good money, but it's killer on your feet."

Ava sat down in the rocker beside him, one foot in her lap, kneading the sole with her long, thin fingers.

"I would not like to brag, but I have been told, a time or two, that I give excellent foot massages. In light of your generosity this evening, I would be remiss in not offering my services."

Ava looked at his face for a moment, then stuck her right foot in his lap. "Far be it for me to refuse a free foot massage."

Ava leaned back in her rocker and closed her eyes.

Holding her foot gently by the heel, Boyd turned his chair so that he was facing Ava. Without opening her eyes, Ava lifted her other leg and placed her left foot in Boyd's lap.

Boyd took a deep breath but tried not to release it in a gust. He slowly ran his hands over the tops of her feet, a silky texture that affected his breathing.

Slowly he ran a finger down the sole of Ava's foot, and she yanked it away, and laughed.

"No, Boyd, don't you dare tickle me."

"That was not my intention, Ava." But he smiled.

Placing her foot back in his lap, she instructed, "Rougher. I like a rough touch, Boyd."

Using both hands, Boyd took her right foot and began to rub the sole with his thumbs inward, pressing deeply into her arch. He nearly came undone when she moaned, squirmed in her seat, and said, "Yes, Boyd, just like that."

He tried to control his breathing as he worked one foot, and then the other. Ava's moans made him dizzy and his logical thought was harder and harder to maintain.

He rotated her feet gently, stretching and flexing the ankles. He massages her shins and backs of her ankles, working his way up to her calves.

"Oh. Ow!"

"Did I hurt you?" Boyd asked anxiously, releasing his grip on her right calf.

Eyes still closed, Ava said, "Nah. My calves are just aching. I feel like I had a charley horse."

"I'll get all the knots out for you," Boyd said. "I'll take good care of you, Ava."

"I know you will, Boyd," Ava said, dreamily. She sounded as though she were drifting off.

Kneading the back of her calves, first one then the other, Boyd slowly slid his hands up and down Ava's legs, finding knots in her gorgeously well-toned legs and working them out.

It was too hard to stop his hands from sliding up to her thighs, and as her breathing rapidly increased, his stroking became faster and firmer, until his fingers were only a few scant inches from all of heaven's glory.

_Stop it, Boyd. You are taking advantage. This is lust, and you are more of a man than to stoop this low._

But Boyd could not break contact easily. He slid his hands lower and lower until they were safely back on her feet.

Boyd closed his eyes and got himself under control. His breathing slowly returned to normal.

_You have been tempted, Boyd, and you have passed the test_. Boyd congratulated himself.

Boyd opened his eyes to find Ava's blue eyes boring into him.

"Ava, I…"

"Don't apologize, Boyd. I don't want to hear it."

Boyd was silent for a moment. "I was weak. I'll pack my belongings."

"Boyd, I don't want you to leave." Ava stared directly into Boyd's eyes. She didn't look angry or upset. She seemed...undecided.

"Ava, forgive me if I seem confused. I was under the impression that you had forbidden me to even consider our relations taking a carnal nature."

"Boyd, I don't know what I want these days."

Ava put her feet on the floor and leaned close to Boyd's face.

"It's been nearly as long for me as it has for you." She reached out and brought her lips to his, hungrily kissing him.

Boyd grabbed her and pulled her onto his lap, onto his aching center, and touched her heaving chest, feeling the gloriously hard nipples through her thin blouse.

"Oh, Boyd, I need this so much. You are going to scratch an itch I've had for a long time."

Ava's hands went to unfasten his belt, but Boyd stopped her hands, gently, but firmly holding her wrists still.

"Ava, is that what this is? Scratching an itch?"

Ava's face changed from a near frantic desire, to confusion, then amusement. She laughed. "What did you think it was, Boyd? Love?"

Ava watched his face and instantly regretted her tone. But what did he want from her? Surely he didn't think that they could have anything real.

Gently lifting her from his lap, Boyd stood.

"I think that I should retire for the evening, Ava. I hope that you sleep well tonight. And again, I thank you for your many kindnesses to me. Good night, Ava."

Boyd went into the house, careful not to let the screen door slam. Ava heard the stairs creak as Boyd slowly ascended to his room.

_Well, hell, Boyd. What do you want from me?_

The crickets chirped merrily away in the heat of the night_._

**_~The End, For Now~_**

_I hope that you liked this first chapter of Boyd's and Ava's burgeoning relationship. I don't know where the television show will take them. But I want to see where they could go. They are two of my favorite chapters. Please review. Thank you so much! ~vkeithley_


	2. Temptation

**Disclaimer: These wonderful characters are not mine, and I make no profit from them.**

"**Justified" FanFiction**

**CHAPTER TWO, TEMPTATION**

Boyd tossed and turned all night, until his sheets were a tangled mess. A cold shower at 3 a.m. did little to relieve his aching. He kept reliving the moment on the porch, in slow, second-by-second detail. The feel of Ava's silky, firm, yielding thighs under his touch. Her sweet, soft lips on his, her tongue hungrily probing his mouth, her arms strong around him pressing her softness against his hardness, the supple, silkiness of her breasts beneath his fingers…

_Stop torturing yourself, Boyd. Nothing good can come of this_, he told himself.

Finally exhaustion pulled Boyd under, into a thin sleep where ghostly images of Ava in a sheer nightgown chased him. He ran and ran, his hands outstretched attempting to reach safety, but his hands kept encountering plump, round skin, pert hardness…Everywhere he turned, Ava was there, beckoning. He wanted nothing more than to give in, but Raylan's voice hounded him from the shadows.

_A leopard never changes his spots, Boyd. Neither does a Crowder. Do you want that for Ava? _

A shadow man in a hat. Following. Always there.

_I'm watching you, Boyd._

Boyd jerked awake. He was up and getting dressed before he knew where he was headed. Downstairs, Ava, dressed for work, seemed surprised to see him.

An uncomfortable silence stretched out before them.

Finally Boyd spoke.

"I thought I'd take an extra shift today, seeing as I missed my shift yesterday. I'll be back tomorrow morning."

Ava nodded. "I can fix you a double lunch, if you'd like." Her voice was calm, nearly unreadable. Boyd couldn't tell if there was any certain emotion behind it.

"Ava, that'd be just fine, thank you."

"I can make you a couple of sandwiches, and there's some leftover meatloaf," Ava said. She stood and went to the refrigerator, pulling out lunch supplies.

"You seemed to like it. You nearly ate the whole thing when I made it," Ava said, laughing.

Boyd smiled. Some of the tension seemed to leave the room.

"In the last year, I've suffered the culinary skills of prison cooks, reformed convicts, and my own. Your meatloaf might have brought back a bit of my sanity," Boyd said, with an easy grin.

"Well, Boyd, if I knew I was saving your mind, I'd cook more often." Her smile was beautiful in the morning light.

He watched her hands move, sure and swift. She must have made lunches for Bowman. Had he appreciated her fine cooking?

"Boyd, you are staring again," Ava whispered.

Boyd snapped to attention. "I am just hungry, Ava. That food looks delicious."

"Are you sure you're not hungry for more than food, Boyd?" Ava lifted her eyes to stare into his, her lips slightly parted, open and inviting. Suddenly he was mesmerized by her delicate collarbone and soft curve of her shoulder.

Suddenly the space between them was gone, and he stood close enough to feel the heat of her body. He lifted two fingers and traced a line from her jaw bone, slowly down her neck, over her collarbone, reveling in the satiny feel of her shoulder. His fingers followed an invisible line inside her low-cut blouse, over the tops of her breasts. Ava inhaled deeply and her breasts rose to meet his fingers.

All the images he'd tried so carefully to keep out of his mind came flooding back. Lips, thighs, nipples…

His fingers froze. Swallowing hard, he raised his eyes to meet hers.

"I should get going, Ava. Are you finished with that?" He indicated the sandwiches.

Ava's jaw clenched. "Almost. Just give me one more minute."

"I'll be outside at the truck."

Ava jerked a nod. Her skin burned where his hands had touched her. He was the first man to touch her since Raylan, and before Raylan, there had only been Bowman.

If she admitted it to herself, she still ached for Raylan's touch. She had thought he would be the one to…

_What, Ava? Rescue you?_

Ava knew from experience that no man was going to rescue you. Damsels in Kentucky rescued themselves, or else they got eaten by dragons in hillbilly form.

But this thing with Boyd. It was fire and gasoline and dynamite rolled into one.

_What does he want?_ She thought again. _What do I want?_

Outside, Boyd prayed.

_Father in Heaven, I know you're there. I don't know if you are listening to me. I don't know that I deserve for you to listen. But if you could take this temptation away…_

But Boyd couldn't finish. Did he want Ava to be taken away? In his heart of hearts, he knew that he did not.

The sound of a car broke his reverie. Boyd watched as Marshall Raylan Givens pulled his car up beside his truck. Unfolding his long frame out of his car, Boyd's old friend, and more recent enemy, sidled up to him.

"Boyd," Raylan called by way of a greeting.

"It is quite early in the morning for you to be calling, Raylan."

"Well, I've heard a few things that bear the need for early morning house calls."

Boyd sighed. He knew this was coming.

Raylan lifted an eyebrow.

"Go ahead, Raylan. I'll answer anything you'd like to know. But as I've said many a time, it's not what I say, it's what you believe."

Raylan nodded and his expression said that perhaps Boyd was right.

"Well, you see, I hear tell that you had nothing to do with the explosion at the mine yesterday. Imagine my surprise. But what is more interesting is the reason you had nothing to do with the explosion. I hear tell that you got an urgent call from Ava and you rushed home to be with her…in a physical way. The officers said that they found you two in a considerable state of undress."

Raylan spread his hands wide, as if asking for a better explanation.

Boyd sighed again. "Raylan, if that is what was said, then I suppose it must be true. However, I don't know why Ava and my relationship is any of your concern."

Raylan grinned a knowing grin, shaking his head.

"Now, Boyd, I was here not too long ago and you and Ava both told me that was not the nature of your relationship."

"Relationships change, Raylan, as I am sure you know. How IS Winona, by the way?"

Raylan's grinned slipped a bit.

"Boyd, here's your lunch."

Both men looked up to see Ava on the porch, holding a lunch bag and thermos.

"Good morning, Raylan," Ava said. "You're out awful early."

"Good morning, Ava. That's mighty nice of you, fixing Boyd's lunch like that. It seems a lot has changed."

"It seems so," Ava agreed. Her eyes devoured Raylan's face. Was there any hint of jealousy? Did he still want her?

Boyd walked to Ava's side, and took the lunch from her. "Thank you, Ava."

He searched her eyes, not truly knowing what he was looking for. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay, Boyd."

He turned to leave, knowing Raylan was watching them both closely.

"Boyd, wait," Ava said. "I'll miss you."

And before he could look too surprised, she threw her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply. All thoughts of Raylan Givens fled as Boyd relished Ava's generous kiss. Wrapping his free arm around her waist, he pulled her tightly to him and kissed her back. He could feel her instant of shock, but continued kissing her thoroughly.

Finally breaking the kiss, Boyd whispered, "The next time you kiss me, it should not be for Raylan's benefit."

Releasing her, he climbed into his truck and drove away.

Raylan would continue to drill Ava on the trueness of their relationship, but Boyd wasn't worried. A week ago, it would have been a lie. But now, things had changed.

_**~The End, For Now~**_

_I love a slow burn…I want them together so badly, but I think they had a lot to work through before they can get together. And of course, there are Ava's feelings for Raylan to consider. I am writing this a chapter at time, so I don't even know what is going to happen next. I hope you enjoy! And please review. ~vkeithley. _


	3. Caught

**Disclaimer: These wonderful characters are not mine, and I make no profit from them.**

"**Justified" FanFiction**

**CHAPTER THREE, CAUGHT**

The mine was foul and dark. But Boyd relished the hard labor. His pickaxe bit into the hard rock with unnecessary force.

He had taken three lives. He reconciled it by understanding that they would have killed him if he had not done what he did. They were planning to blow him up in the mine, and kill Shelby, and anyone else who got in their way.

Knowing that there had been no way out, and living with the images of the dead men, burned and smoking, of shooting to death the third man, well, those were two different animals altogether.

"Boyd," a voice called to him in the darkness. "Shelby needs you up top, pronto."

Boyd dropped his pickaxe, and trudged slowly upwards. The cool, clean air washed over him like a splash of water.

In the trailer, where the failed robbery had taken place, Shelby stood waiting for him.

"Boyd, I want to get down to it. I'd like to make you a foreman. You saved my life and proved to me I can trust you. It's more money and less hard work. Will you take it?"

Shelby stuck out his hand, a broad smile across his face, where a doctor had placed six stitches because of the blow to the face he'd taken from the now dead gunmen.

"Shelby, I thank you for your kind words, and for your trust. But I cannot accept the position. The responsibility would be more than I can handle right now. Thank you kindly, though."

"Are you sure, Boyd?" Shelby asked. "It's more money, and better hours. You could be home in the evening and at night. It's hard to please a woman if you can't be there at night for them."

Boyd chuckled grimly. "Thank you, but…no thank you."

The last thing Boyd needed was to be at home with Ava at night. If he could keep away from her as much as possible, things might go back to normal. As normal as they had been, at least.

_In any case, I belong in the dark. The foulness likens to my foul soul._

Boyd left Shelby shaking his head at the refusal. Most men would have jumped at the chance. Shelby didn't understand Boyd at all. But at least he'd made the offer.

Boyd trudged back into the hole and soon his pickaxe whistled through the air over and over again.

Thud! _One for Raylan._ Thud! _One for Ava._ Thud! _One for Daddy Bo_.

Thud! Thud! Thud! _Bowman. Kyle. Jesus_.

Thud! Thud! Thud! _Boyd. Boyd. Boyd_.

All too soon, the bell whistled, and 6 a.m. approached. Hungrily, greedily, Boyd was anxious to see Ava's face. Her perfect little nose. Her smooth lips.

But his truck found its' way across the county line, and he sat at bar drinking. He tried to ignore the trembling of his hands. He tried to pretend that he wasn't counting the minutes until he could be sure that Ava had left for work. He tried not to imagine all the ways he wanted to make love to Ava.

He sipped whiskey and whispered prayers he was no longer sure he believed.

_How many times I have failed you my Lord, when I have allowed the lustful enticements of this world to reign in my heart. Father in Heaven, give me hunger for your living bread, take away the hunger for her flesh…feed me with your Word, give me the strength to control the appetite of my senses, take away this burning in my flesh…_

Senses dulled by alcohol, Boyd drove home and parked his truck crookedly in the driveway. He didn't notice Ava's car, assumed she was gone, so his shock was total with what he saw when he walked into the open door.

Ava stood on the stairs, in a sheer, lacy robe, opened wide to reveal that she wore absolutely nothing else, except a pair of high heels.

Boyd's mouth hung open as he couldn't take his eyes from her creamy skin, revealed in all its' natural glory. Deep in the recesses of his drunken mind, he knew he should look away but every inch of his skin burned with desire. Her breasts stood proudly at attention, the nipples dark pink and round, ready for his fingers, his mouth. Her belly was flat and tight, and her thighs were as toned as if she were training for a marathon. His eyes traveled lower….

…_Praise God Almighty in Heaven…_

"You've kept me waiting, Boyd." With another woman, her words might have sounded flirtatious, or seductive. Ava was matter-of-fact. She didn't have to be seductive. She was who she was, and she wanted what she wanted. At least, what she thought she wanted.

"Ava, you seem to have lost quite a bit of your clothing. What are you doing?"

"Boyd, you know exactly what I'm doing. And to be honest, I'm getting a little tired of having to work so hard. My self-esteem can't take much more rejection."

Was she talking about him, or Raylan? Boyd lifted his eyes to the ceiling. His mind was disturbingly blank. He didn't know whether to pray, or run, like Joseph did from Potiphar's wife.

_Just give in, Boyd. Why do you try so hard? No one expects you to be a good man._

His own thoughts betrayed him. He didn't want to try.

When Ava's soft slim fingers twined around his neck, Boyd squeezed his eyes shut.

"Ava, please, don't. I'm covered in dirt. I don't want to get you dirty."

"I'm already dirty. A little more dirt won't hurt."

Her words tore at him. She was as damaged as he was.

He tried to unwind her hands, but she clung tightly, pressing her naked body against him.

"Don't you say no to me, Boyd," she growled. "Don't you dare. Just give in! Why are you trying to be so good?"

Her words inflamed him. Her words, his thoughts.

He pushed her against the wall, ripping her delicate robe from her shoulders. She was completely unclothed now, and he pressed his body against her. The ache in his middle raged. He wanted to be inside the deepest part of her.

"Is this what you want, Ava. Do you want me to be that which I am trying so desperately not to ? Do you know how hard it is to get the scent of you out of my nose and off of my skin? It's so strong it follows me down into that abominable coal mine, and no matter how wretched the stink is down there, your scent is there, battering my brain until I want to take that pickaxe to my own skull."

Instead of fear, Boyd saw glee in Ava's eyes. He'd given in.

She pressed her lips to his, unbuttoning his shirt, tearing his clothes off as fast as possible.

Boyd reveled in her soft flesh and with one hand unbuckled his belt and pants.

"I want you, Boyd," Ava panted. "Right here, right now."

Boyd's lips traveled down her neck, kissing and nipping her skin, and he felt her fingernails dig into his back. As he took a hard, pert nipple into his mouth, she gasped aloud and scratched him deeply.

"I'm a bad man, Ava. I'm a bad man," he murmured into her flesh.

She didn't listen. She didn't care. Her need for him was explosive. She arched her back, giving him more of her, sliding one leg up and around his waist. She ran her fingers through his already wild hair, making it wilder, pulling it hard.

"Now, Boyd, now. Don't keep me waiting."

"I can see I'm interrupting," a voice drawled from the open front door.

It was like a splash of cold water over Boyd's body. It was hatefully unwelcome. It was salvation.

"Raylan," Ava squeaked.

Boyd gritted his teeth, and turned so that Ava was hidden behind his body.

"You make it a point to walk into someone's home unannounced and uninvited, Raylan?"

Raylan could not come up with his normal banter. Seeing Ava naked pressed up against the wall by Boyd, clearly…Raylan's mouth went dry. He hadn't forgotten how beautiful Ava was, how amazing her body was. He'd just made himself not look anymore. Now he couldn't help but stare. And she was with Boyd? He couldn't make himself believe his eyes. His blood started to boil.

"Ava, are you alright?"

"I…." Ava had a hard time speaking.

"Ava, you tell me right now if you are a willing participant. Otherwise, I'm going to shoot Boyd right where he stands."

Boyd sighed, and started to reach down and pick up his hastily discarded shirt from the floor, but realized it would leave Ava unprotected.

"Raylan," Ava finally spoke. "Of course, I am willing. I thought you understood yesterday. Apparently your skull is thicker than I thought. Now, please turn around so that I can get dressed."

"I've seen it all, Ava."

Ava's eyes narrowed in anger. "That doesn't mean I'm gonna let you see it again."

Raylan turned and walked out the door.

Grabbing Boyd's shirt from the floor, she covered herself and ran upstairs. If the situation hadn't been so fouled up, Boyd might have laughed at the sight of her naked rear going up the stairs.

As it was, he buckled his pants and went shirtless out to the porch.

"Might I inquire why you are back here again, Raylan?"

"I didn't believe you two yesterday," Raylan said honestly. "I thought you'd talked Ava into covering for you. I came back to get the truth."

Raylan shook his head wearily.

"I guess I got the truth."

"Raylan, I swear to you I will never harm a hair on Ava's head. I care about her deeply. You understand what that's like."

"I'm not going to let you be another Bowman to her, Boyd."

"My dead brother and I are two different men."

"That's what you keep saying. I keep saying "Stay away from Ava."

The two men stood toe to toe, the lawman and the criminal. Ava watched from her bedroom window. Both men wanted her, she knew. Both men tried to not want her. What did that say about her? What did it say about her that she wanted them both?

On the dried out lawn, Boyd stood his ground.

"And what I don't, Raylan? Ava is a grown woman long past the age of consent. And you, if I am not mistaken, are re-involved with your ex-wife."

"Are you in love with Ava, Boyd? Will you answer that question for me?" Raylan clenched his jaw.

"Only if you will answer the same question first."

Raylan sighed.

_**~The End, For Now~**_

_*Whew! It gets a little hot and heavy in this scene. I hope you enjoy! And please review. Just drop a line if you liked the story. ~vkeithley. _


	4. Fried Chicken

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Justified," unfortunately. These wonderful characters are not mine, and I make no profit from them.**

"**Justified" FanFiction**

**CHAPTER FOUR, FRIED CHICKEN**

"What is this, Boyd?"

Delicious smells of fried chicken wafted up the stairs and brought Ava running.

"I thought that I would surprise you with dinner." Boyd looked ridiculous in her flowered apron.

"I thought you didn't know how to cook."

"I must confess that I followed a recipe," Boyd said, with a grin, "But _Better Homes and Gardens_ assures me that the recipe is authentically southern."

"Well, it smells delicious."

"I'll bring some ice tea out to the porch. There's no need for you to stand around in this hot kitchen."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Ava lost no time in heading out front.

Boyd was grateful that Ava appeared to be in a good mood, and much less tense than their last encounter. It has been seven days since they had almost indulged in intimate relations. Perhaps God answered his prayers, because a cosmetics convention or something or other had rolled into Lexington, and Ava had been making the three-hour drive between Harlan and Lexington twice a day. She was dead on her feet when she got home late at night, and she left in the morning before Boyd got home from the coal mine.

Boyd was glad of the time to gain perspective. The Lord created the world in seven days. Surely he could figure out his problems with one woman in that time.

He carried two glasses of tea out to the porch and gave one to Ava. He settled himself in his favorite rocker and slowly sipped the sweet tea.

"Ava, I think the time has come for us to talk."

"What would you like to talk about, Boyd."

"Puppies."

Ava stared, mouth open.

"Did you say 'puppies?'"

"I did, indeed. There is an animal shelter in town with some mighty fine puppies that need a good home. I thought to make a present of one to you. I'd feel better knowing you had some protection around the house. And I admit, they are awful cute."

Ava sighed, then chuckled. "Well, I tell you, that is not where I expected this talk to go. Boyd, that's sweet, it really is, but I don't have time for a pup. And I have protection. A shotgun is plenty of protection."

Ava smiled and reached out to place a hand on Boyd's.

"Is that really what you wanted to talk to me about?"

Boyd grinned ruefully, shaking his head.

"I wanted to make love to you the other day in the worst way. I was angrier than hellfire that we were interrupted. But I was glad, too. It wasn't right, Ava."

Ava was still, eyes cast downward.

"I have done many wrong things to you, Ava. Things that I can hardly bear to recall. I am trying to be a better man, one that might deserve to be close to you."

Ava shook her head.

"No, Boyd. You'll just hurt me again. You'll hurt me like…" Ava clamped her teeth together.

_Like Bowman. Like Raylan._

"I will cut out my own eye before I hurt you," Boyd said. He took Ava's chin and raised it so that they were looking each other in the eye. "I will cut off my hand before I let it offend you."

"Damnation, Boyd," Ava said, a tear leaking down her face, "why couldn't you just take what I was offering? I don't want your puppies, or your fried chicken, or your protection!"

Boyd was still. He didn't believe Ava's angry words. But he despaired of ever making her see that he loved her, that he couldn't have just a physical relationship with her. He loved listening to her talk, how calm he felt in her presence. He loved to make her laugh, and listen to music on the radio with her. He'd told her once that he'd wanted to be in a band, and since then, she'd made him sing with her. She even lied and said his singing voice was nice. He liked washing her dishes, and seeing her surprised smile. He liked finding things to do for her before she knew they needed to be done.

He wanted to give her more, and he knew that she wanted more, but was just afraid to ask for it, to accept it.

"Ava," Boyd reached out for her hand. Ava jumped up and ran for the door, but Boyd was faster. He held her in his arms, and after a moment, she relaxed and held him back tightly.

"I'm so scared, Boyd."

"Me, too, Ava."

_**~The End, For Now~**_

_*Lighter, less lusty. Boyd and Ava make a deeper connection, almost, based on more than just sexual attraction. I hope you enjoy! And please review. Just drop a line if you liked the story. ~vkeithley. _


	5. Fishing

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Justified," unfortunately. Boyd and Ava do not belong to me and I make no profit from them.**

"**Justified" FanFiction**

**CHAPTER FIVE: FISHING**

It was a lovely Sunday morning. The smell of bacon frying and the sound of a woman humming stirred Boyd from his dreams. He felt an uncharacteristic smile cross his face. He was almost…happy. The sun drifted through the window of his small bedroom in Ava's house, and for a few seconds, he could have almost believed that he was sharing a bed with Ava, and she was now downstairs cooking breakfast for him after a long, satisfying night of love-making.

As it was, he'd pleasantly spent the last evening reading to her from "Of Human Bondage," on the porch, and answering her questions about the story.

"I'm not the literary type, Boyd. You're not gonna get much of a conversation from me on those kinds of matters."

"The boy's story is one that most people can relate to," Boyd said softly.

"Him losing his family, and wanting to travel to other places, feeling trapped at every turn? I certainly can relate. That's my everyday life," Ava chuckled ruefully. "Maybe that's what the title means. Bondage ain't just out-and-out slavery, but the lives we live every day…"

Boyd smiled. Her inability to recognize the sharpness of her own mind confounded him.

They'd gone to sleep, still in separate beds. It was an unspoken agreement that they'd go slowly, and it made them both as jittery as young colts in a pasture.

"I'll make breakfast for you in the morning, Boyd," Ava said, almost shyly.

"That'd be real fine, Ava."

Ava had lingered on the stairs.

"Boyd, I'd like to kiss you goodnight. I know how you feel, so I just want to let you know that I'm not coming on to you. It's just a good night kiss."

And damn if Boyd didn't feel his cheeks heating up as if he were a virginal schoolboy.

"Ava, I'd be a blamed fool if I didn't accept. And my mama didn't raise no fool. Well, at least, not me."

Ava stepped close to him, and placed her hands gently on his shoulders. She lifted her face and placed her lips on his. The kiss was soft and sweet. Ava didn't force it, but gently moved her lips underneath his. A familiar hunger started in the pit of Boyd's belly and he put his arms around her waist, pulling her into him, deepening the kiss, allowing his tongue to explore her mouth. Ava's breath quickened and she wrapped her arms around Boyd's neck and moaned softly into his mouth, tasting the sweetness of his lips.

But after a few seconds, she gently pulled away.

"Good night, Boyd." Her voice was a bit strained, her breathing heavier than before.

Boyd smiled, panting a bit himself. "Good night, Ava." _Sweet Ava_.

Boyd knew Ava wanted him as much as he wanted her.

_God made me an idiot fifty times over_, Boyd complained to himself. _What normal, healthy man turns away from the pleasures of a beautiful woman?_

But if he wanted Ava for the long term, he would have to be the utmost patient in the short term. The image of her beautiful naked body was burned into his mind forever, but waiting would make having her all the much more precious, all the more delicious when that time came.

_Will it last, Boyd? When the time comes, will you be the right man for her? Can you truly have something real with Bowman's widow? She killed him dead, deservedly so. Do you deserve less?_

Boyd put his dark thoughts away, reveling in the memory of Ava's touch. The feel of her lips had been like a lullaby, and he'd drifted off to sleep within minutes.

Morning came swiftly and Boyd woke feeling content.

"Boyd, if your bacon and eggs get cold, I don't want any complaining," Ava called up the stairs.

Three minutes later, Boyd arrived in the kitchen, dressed, face washed, and hair combed. Although it was sticking straight up as usual.

Ava smiled. She loved Boyd's hair. He looked like a little boy who'd stuck his fingers in an electrical outlet.

"Maybe today, I can tame that hair of yours," she said.

"Darling, you'd be fighting a battle I've lost for thirty-odd years."

"Hair is my specialty," Ava said.

"You have many talents, Ava," Boyd said. "Styling hair is just one of them."

"You have never lost your silver tongue, have you?"

"I suppose not, but I have tried to change how I use it. I guess gilding the lily is a bad habit." Boyd pulled out a chair and sat at the table. Two glasses were filled with orange juice and a small vase with flowers hastily plucked from the yard sat in the middle of the table.

"There's nothing wrong with a compliment or two, Boyd. Most women really like them and I'm no different." Ava set a plate heaping with eggs and bacon and flapjacks in front of him, and his stomach began to rumble loudly.

"I will keep that in mind," Boyd said.

The two shared a smiled, and Ava sat with her own plate before her. Boyd let her take the first bite and then dug in himself.

"Ambrosia," he murmured.

"It's just scrambled eggs," Ava said. But she looked pleased.

But after a moment or two of eating, Ava spoke seriously.

"I hadn't wanted to bring this up before, Boyd, but just how do we intend on spending that money without having the ATF breathing down our backs? I did not appreciate being grilled by them, Boyd."

"I did not find their company especially pleasant my own self. I appreciate you sticking to the story,"

"Well, I really don't want to lose my house, and I figure we are in this thing together now. Which is not to say I'm gonna abide you law-breaking. That bag of money under my floorboards was a one-time thing."

A feeling of dread shot through Boyd.

"My old life seems to follow me, Ava. Try as I might, I can't seem to escape it."

"Hell, Boyd, I'm no good at trying to be inspiring. But I know that you aren't the man you used to be, Boyd. I know that now. I want you to know it, too."

A weight seemed to settle on Boyd's shoulders. Was it real? Or were they just playing house, in a house made of cards, destined to come tumbling down?

"Now after breakfast, how are we going to spend our fine Sunday? And if you say fishing, I might hit you with a frying pan." Ava smiled, gorgeous in the morning sunlight, unaware of his dark thoughts.

_Live for now, Boyd._

Boyd smiled his most charming at Ava. "What if I didn't say "fishing," but I said "picnic near a river where some fish could be caught for supper."

"I still might grab the frying pan," Ava threatened.

Boyd reached across the table and held her hand.

"I can't think of a better day than lying on a blanket, in sweet smelling grass, watching the sunlight through your hair. Watching your eyelids close as I read to you, you pretending to pay attention, when you're really falling asleep. I know a meadow where time seems to stand still, where you might be so inclined to allow me to hold you in my arms for a goodly spell, and only the birds would disturb our peace," Boyd crooned softly.

" And maybe after all that, I could teach you to bait a hook…"

Ava couldn't help but grin. "Oh yes, silver tongue indeed. And I don't need you to teach me to bait a hook, Boyd Crowder. I could probably catch more fish than you blindfolded."

Boyd raised his eyebrows. "That sounds like a challenge, Miss Crowder, one that if I refused, I could hardly call myself a man."

Ava narrowed her eyes and wrinkled her nose so cutely Boyd wanted to kiss it.

"I'll get the blankets, you get the poles."

...

_Elsewhere in Kentucky..._

"The ATF suspects Boyd took some of that money," said the young man with the rotten teeth. "And I know Kyle didn't trust Boyd no way at all."

He spoke quickly to a larger man with of a pirate ship on his forearm.

"We don't know that Boyd took any of the money. I'm not concerning myself with what could be a wild goose chase. I learned a long time ago when to cut and run."

"Yessir, but… Kyle and the others end up dead, and Boyd walks away empty-handed? That don't sound like the Boyd Crowder you told me about. All I know is I want my part of the take, and I have a feeling in my gut that Boyd has some of the money somewhere. We just need to do a little bit of fishing to find out where."

The man with the tattoo grinned. "I always did like fishing. Why don't we get ourselves to Harlan and see if we can't fish out where Mr. Crowder might have put our money."

_**~The End, For Now~**_

_*Talking about going someplace I didn't expect. Boyd and Ava have found a tentative middle ground, but Boyd's old life is going to hit them hard and fast. Have they built enough to withstand? For those of you who enjoy the painful, yet amazing sexual chemistry between Body and Ava, there is more to come._

_I hope you enjoy! And please review. Hearing from you makes it all worth it. ~vkeithley. _


	6. Picnic

**Disclaimer: I do not own "Justified," unfortunately. Boyd and Ava do not belong to me and I make no profit from them.**

"**Justified" FanFiction**

**CHAPTER SIX: PICNIC**

The meadow was warm in the late morning sun, but the day the promised to be much hotter. Boyd spread the patchwork blanket beneath a large tree to take advantage of the shade. The river babbled along a few feet away.

Boyd enjoyed seeing Ava in a fisherman's hat. It made her look charmingly youthful and innocent.

"I know you're laughing at my hat, Boyd Crowder, but I don't plan on burning as red as a beet in this sun."

"Oh no, Ma'am, I'd never laugh at such a fine chapeau," Boyd said, unable to stop a chuckle from escaping his lips. "You look ready to do some serious fishing."

"You just make sure that no ants run away with our picnic basket before we're done."

Ava took her fishing pole down to the river to find a nice spot.

Boyd returned to the truck to retrieve an ice-chest with cold drinks. He grabbed the ice-chest from the bed of the truck, and felt his pocket buzz. He fished his phone out of his pocket, wondering who would be calling him. It was rare that anyone called him, except Ava. He kept the phone out of habit.

An unknown number flashed on the viewscreen.

Boyd pressed the talk button. Without waiting for him to speak a male voice asked, "Boyd Crowder?"

"This is he," Boyd replied, immediately sensing something wrong.

"You have something that belongs to me. We both know what that is. Some folks might have believed your tall tale. And I admit, you're got more wits about you than that idiot, Kyle. But you ain't smarter than me. I'm coming to git mine. If you stand in my way, you won't be the only one to suffer. That beautiful blonde thing will wish you dead a thousand times before I'm done with her."

The dial tone buzzed in Boyd's ear.

He stood frozen, with the ice chest balanced on one hip.

He should have known Kyle wasn't working alone. He was in no way clever enough to organize the mine robbery. Someone else had been waiting for that money. That person had guessed that Boyd had taken away some of the money. Now he wanted it.

A deep sigh came from within Boyd. _Nothing came free_, he thought. Eventually everyone had to pay the piper.

"Boyd, are you just gonna let me win? I've caught two fish already," Ava called.

An unbidden smile came to Boyd's lips. Of course she took the challenge seriously. Ava was nothing, if not competitive and stubborn. Boyd might have loved those qualities about her most of all.

"I will kill anyone who tries to harm you, Ava," he whispered to himself. "I will lie, cheat, and steal to make you happy."

But his face twisted. It didn't feel right. Ava would not want those things. He shouldn't be willing to sacrifice good for her. But, deep down, he knew he would.

He didn't want to admit that she'd become his saving grace. He would do good for her because it made her happy. But he would do anything, good or bad, to keep her safe and happy. It was irony at its' worst.

"Boyd!"

"I'm coming. I thought I saw a snake."

"Don't play with me, Boyd. We'll go home right now," Ava called.

"I'm serious. There was two or three of them, having a discussion about coming back to eat the food in that picnic basket."

Boyd placed the ice-chest on the ground near the blanket and grabbed his pole. Sitting beside Ava, he deftly baited his hook and dropped the line in the water.

"Oh, really? They were discussing my cooking?" Ava's face was a mixture of exasperated disbelief and playfulness. She enjoyed this side of Boyd. He had never been so…sweet…before.

"Oh yeah. Snakes have a deep fondness for chicken salad sandwiches and home-made brownies."

"And you've become a snake-whisperer?"

"Ava, don't be silly. The snakes were speaking English. Well kind of. They had northern accents."

Ava laughed aloud, snorting. Embarrassed, she covered her nose and said, "I'm done talking to you. Aren't folks supposed to be silent when they're fishing? You and your tall tales. I bet children love you."

Boyd's impish grin faltered a bit. "I've never really been around little children very much. I used to find them very tedious and needing attention."

"And now…"

Boyd didn't know what to say. He thought a moment.

"I was in a grocery store a couple months back. I wasn't buying much of nothing. I was standing in line, and a woman was in front of me, and she was sticking out to yonder with child, and had a child of about 4 years old standing with her. I could tell her patience was at an end, she seemed tired and worried. But she took to smacking the child, a little boy with the biggest blue eyes that I've ever seen, because he asked for a candy treat. There wasn't much in her basket, so I knew money was probably the issue. The child just cried, kind of helpless like, tears streaming down his face. So I reach down and give him a quarter and he just kind of stared at it. Then he give me the biggest, crookedest smile you ever did see. And I felt a pain so sharp in my heart, I thought I was having a heart attack for while. Then I realized that I was happy. It'd been so long since I'd seen such pure sweetness, since I'd felt such happiness, I didn't recognize the feeling."

Boyd reached out and gently wiped a tear from Ava's eyes. She realized only at that moment that she'd become weepy.

"Well," Boyd continued, "I remember thinking, maybe children aren't so bad."

Ava just watched Boyd for a moment, slowly shaking her head.

"I'm going to put this fishing pole down, Boyd, and then I'm gonna kiss you for a good long while. I just thought I'd warn you beforehand."

Boyd face split into a wide grin. "Thanks for the warning."

_**~The End, For Now~**_

_I hope you enjoy! And please review. Hearing from you makes it all worth it. ~vkeithley. _


	7. Picnic, Part II

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boyd and Ava.**

"**Justified" FanFiction**

**CHAPTER SEVEN: PICNIC, PART II**

Ava was true to her word. She pulled her pole out of the water and sat it carefully on the ground. Moving close enough for Boyd to see a slightly pulsing vein in her neck, Ava pressed her lips to his.

His ache returned, but it was bearable. Ava was soft and silky in his arms, and he allowed himself to run his fingers through her thick, lustrous hair.

The feel of his hands in her hair, caressing her neck, made Ava moan, which made Boyd ache more deeply. Suddenly both their bodies were on fire.

"Ava, darling…" He murmured, bringing his lips to her neck.

"I know, Boyd, I know." Ava lifted her face to the sky, enraptured by the feel of his lips. Her hands reached for his hair and her fingers tightened.

Stumbling, hands and lips and bodies entwined, the two made their way to the blanket. Ava pulled Boyd down on top of her, anxious to feel his body on hers.

Boyd's body warred with his mind. His hands wanted to feel every inch of her. He slid his hands under her blouse, enjoying the texture of his skin, her firm stomach, her silky breasts. But his mind said to stop, to wait. He tried to think of the reasons that making love to Ava was wrong, but her insistent mouth nibbling his lips, biting his ear, made his head swim. The good Lord knew he'd wanted her for longer than was right. It had been downright sinful. But he'd tried so hard to resist, even when it was near impossible.

"_I see the way you stare at Ava, Boyd. What does the Bible say 'bout coveting your neighbor's wife?"_

"_Bowman, I…"_

"_Don't worry, little brother. Ava's a fine woman, and I might be willing to let you have a little piece…" Bowman wrapped his arms around Boyd's neck more tightly than necessary._

"_Get your hands off me, Bowman."_

"_Just settle yourself. If you want Ava, just a piece, mind you, I'd be willing to look the other way, for say, your share of new meth lab._

"_What does the Bible say about selling your wife?" Boyd eyes burned with anger. "You're a real piece of work."_

_Bowman's eyes narrowed. "Well, then, I catch you staring at Ava's ass one more time, I'll put your eye out, little brother._

Ava's greedy hands pulled at his clothing, lifted his shirt over his head.

He found her mouth again, tasting her deeply. Her panting breaths, her delicious moans made him feel explosive.

Barely aware of the sun on his bare back, her nails spearing his shoulders, his mouth traveled down her neck to her collarbone, tasting her skin. When his warm mouth closed on her nipple, first one, then the other, Ava cried out and thrust her hips into him.

Ava moaned affirmatives, loving how Boyd caressed her body. The clothing between them frustrated her. She wanted to feel his skin on hers. His mouth on her now made her feel liquid, like melting fire. Her hands fumbled at his pants and she was grateful that there was no belt this time.

But as the first time, Boyd's hands halted hers.

"Boyd?" Ava panted harshly, opening her eyes to find Boyd staring into her face.

"Don't tell me that we can't do this. I know you want me, Boyd," Ava said, bringing her lips to his. Her hips met his, pressing, thrusting, and she could feel his need. There were just too many damn clothes.

Boyd kissed her deeply, allowing the amazing feel of her to travel through his body, before pulling gently away.

"I want you so badly I feel like I'm drowning, Ava. I'm not saying 'no.' I just want to make sure that this is what you want."

"I thought I was making myself pretty clear," Ava responded.

Boyd grinned ruefully. "Yes ma'am, you did. You are amazing in more ways than one."

He stared at Ava, underneath him, ready to be intimate with him. He tried to make her understand.

"Have you truly forgiven me for my past transgressions? I held a gun on you, Ava. I held you against your will. I had done many things in my life that would make a woman such as yourself think twice, and twice over, about starting a relationship. And," Boyd paused to clear his throat, "that is what I would like from you."

He smiled nervously. "I don't want to ruin the moment by becoming womanly prudish, but…I love you, Ava.

"Oh, Boyd," Ava whispered. She shifted her body and moved from underneath his arm, sitting up. She put her face in her hands and sighed deeply.

Boyd sat up, facing her. "I don't expect you to love me in the same way, right at this moment. But I am hoping that you might direct your mind and your heart towards thinking gentler of me. We have something between us, Ava. There's a truckload of desire, for certain, but I don't want you to regret your actions in the light of a new morning. "

He paused, his lips tightening. Slowly he pulled off his boots, socks, and stood, unfastening his pants, and stepping out of them. He stood before Ava, bare as birth, the sun gleaming off of his skin. Ava could see a myriad of scars, one on his left hip, a long vertical slash down his right calf, one running across his abdomen.

"This is all of me, Ava. This is all I have to give to you."

Ava stood and faced him. She ran her fingertips lightly across the scar on his thigh, making him shiver.

"Where did you get this one?" Ava spoke softly.

"Mine accident when I was 19," Boyd answered.

"And this one?" Her lips kissed the length of the scar running horizontally across his chest.

Boyd hesitated. "A knife fight with one of my more shady acquaintances."

"And this one?" Ava knelt in front of Boyd and caressed his calf. Boyd could feel her warm breath near his middle, and could not stop his body's natural reaction to her presence. He tried to breathe normally, but he began to gulp the air like a fish out of water.

He closed his eyes as Ava's hands caressed his thighs and it was his turn to moan aloud when Ava's warm, wet mouth enveloped him.

"Oh, dear Lord, Ava, love, I don't think I can stand it," Boyd pleaded.

Her low chuckle and increased pressure made his whole body shake. His hands grasped her hair, and when her tongue delicately circled and teased, he pulled her away with a growl.

They tumbled back to the blanket ground and Boyd quickly freed her of her clothing.

As the warm summer wind blew over their intertwined bodies, they kissed passionately, exploring each other. Ava, sprawling on top of Boyd's body, feeling his stiff eagerness against her thigh, breathed heavily, and said, ""Boyd, I've made my peace with your past. I can't say where this is gonna go. But I won't regret it."

The meadow was silent and still, except for the insects' songs, the rush of the river, and Ava's occasional gasps of pleasure.

. . . .

When Deacon told him to follow Boyd, to see if Boyd would lead him to where the money was hidden, Travis didn't know he'd be seeing something straight out of the nudie pictures.

"Golly gee Moses, if that woman ain't a gorgeous piece of flesh," murmured Travis. He pressed his eyes so tightly against the eyepiece of his binoculars, they began cutting into his skin.

When his cell phone rang, Travis jumped with fear.

"Stupid…" he muttered.

Answering the phone, he spoke in whispers, even though his voice wouldn't have traveled to the love-making pair.

"Yeah, I saw him get your call…No, he didn't leave. He didn't seem concerned…Right now? Well, right now I think the money is the last thing on his mind."

Travis giggled.

"Nah, I ain't laughing at you, Deke, it's just that Boyd's having a piece of his woman right now a'fore God and nature. I don't mind a bit staying here and watching him a while longer."

Travis listened. "Yeah, of course. I'll head over there right away. I was just thinkin' of doing that. I'll check everywhere…No, they won't even know I've been there."

_**~The End, For Now~**_

_So sorry for the time elapse. I'm in the last round of edits for my novel and it has eaten up the better part of the past five or six days. I hope you enjoy this next installment of the Boyd and Ava story! Even though they've consummated the relationship, they've got to face much more before they can "live happily ever after." If that's even a possibility. _

_Please review. Hearing from you makes it all worth it. ~vkeithley. _


	8. Torn, But Not Apart

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boyd and Ava.**

"**Justified" FanFiction**

**CHAPTER EIGHT: TORN, BUT NOT APART**

Ava felt warm and tingly and smushy in all the right places. Boyd spooned her in the late afternoon sun, their naked bodies drying in the cool breezes that had begun to blow. The wind wasn't so cool to be uncomfortable, but Ava knew that they should find their scattered clothes soon.

The warm feeling that traveled the length and depth of her wouldn't let her regret sleeping with Boyd, not yet. She wondered why she didn't feel at least some inkling of shame, or fear. It was Boyd Crowder that she had made love to like the world was ending, as if he alone could fill the ache inside her. His hand now gently stroked her thigh and drifted upwards to caress her tender breasts. She laughed softly as her ache began to return. How could she want him again, so soon?

Harlan was a small place. It wouldn't be long before the whole of the county knew that the nature of their relationship had changed. Had truly changed. Townsfolk gossiped about the two of them now, after the whopper of lie they'd both told after the mine robbery. After Raylan had walked in on them nearly making love.

She had pushed thoughts of Raylan far in the back of her mind. She hadn't been good enough for him and for a while, before Boyd, she thought that she might go crazy with trying to put her life back together after Raylan.

Was Boyd just a replacement for Raylan? Ava's heart stuttered in her chest briefly. Was she making a huge mistake that would hurt her, and Boyd? Boyd's hand had stilled, cupping her breast.

No, she thought. Boyd wasn't merely a replacement for the lawman. There were five guys in town who were good enough, decent enough, who'd marry her right now if she wiggled a finger. She'd always been beautiful, but she had grown up with a father who made you want to be ugly. Because if you were beautiful, he was always there, lurking, leering, touching inappropriately. So she didn't count her beauty for much.

Boyd told her that she was beautiful, but it was different. Long ago, he'd used to stare and stare, a desperate, hungry look, but now it was a look of…love. Sadness, sometimes. But mostly love.

So what did it matter what the town said, if she and Boyd went grocery shopping together, smiling, holding hands. What did it matter? Ava was so used to the common town gossip, beginning when she was a small child, sporting bruises from her father, continuing while she sported bruises from her husband, Bowman.

Ava had always been a rebel. The more the town talked, the more she wanted to prove she was stronger than they thought.

Turning, she faced Boyd. His eyes were closed and his face was more relaxed than she'd ever seen. A soft rumble came from his chest and up through his nose.

"Boyd, are you asleep?"

"No, ma'am. Just resting my eyes," he murmured.

"Did you know that you snored while you rested your eyes?"

Boyd opened one eye and peered at Ava. She had that rumpled, satisfied look of a woman who had been greatly pleased, and that look alone made him want to take her again, but he wasn't a young man anymore. Three times in an afternoon had been intensely pleasurable, but exhausting.

"What are you thinking," Ava enquired.

"Just wishing I was 21 years old again, back when my desire didn't outlast my stamina."

Ava just smiled and pecked Boyd on the lips. "Your stamina served you well enough."

She snuggled into his arms, saying, "This was good, Boyd. I'm so glad of it. But that wind is raising goosebumps on my derriere, so maybe it's about time we were packing up."

Boyd groaned lightly, but rose and dressed. It would have gone faster if Ava hadn't kept unbuttoning his shirt to kiss his chest. At one point, he thought, "The South just might rise again," but Ava ran away from him, teasing and laughing. Together, they repacked all their belongings, and Boyd noted the ease between them. Gone were the awkward glances or hesitant touches. They freely held each other and kissed. Ava was more chatty than Boyd had heard her be in a long time, and he smiled at the ease in which she confided all of her thoughts to him.

In the truck, on the way home, Ava snuggled close to Boyd's side, smiles and laughter easy on lips.

After the trucked rolled to a stop in the front yard, Ava bounded up the steps, still laughing, wondering if Boyd would be up for another round, if he would be willing to share her bed, if…

The laughter died as her eyes landed on what was left of her living room. Broken furniture and glass littered the entire room. Papers were scattered everywhere. Holes were gouged in the walls and her grandmother's china cabinet was utterly destroyed, doors hanging on their hinges, glass panes shattered, and the delicate china plates and bowls broken in pieces.

It looked as though someone had come through the room with a wrecking ball.

Ava was beyond words. Her mouth hung open and her breath came in small gasps. A hand fell on her shoulder and she covered her mouth before she could scream. It was only Boyd. The intruder or intruders were long gone. Her hands itched for her shotgun. She wanted to rip and destroy.

"What happened here, Boyd? They came for the money, didn't they?"

The look on Boyd's face told her everything.

"You knew?"

"Ava, I don't want to lie to you," Boyd said.

Ava's eye flared in anger. "Then don't."

"I got a call this afternoon. A man said that he wanted what was his, and that I shouldn't stand in his way. I can only assume he was another one of Kyle's associates. He wants the money."

Ava ran upstairs to her tiny bathroom, seemingly the one room in the house that hadn't been ransacked. She lifted the bathmat next to the bath tub and pried up the loose floorboards there. The money was still there.

She slumped on the floor against the tub. The creaking floor told her that Boyd had followed her.

"They destroyed my house," Ava said, without looking up at him. "My grandmama's china closet, all my wedding dishes…"

"Ava, I'm so sorry."

"How could you not tell me? Afraid I wouldn't fuck you?"

Boyd's face wrinkled. "I didn't want to upset you."

"I'm upset now, Boyd. I am damn angry!"

Boyd didn't speak. He waited for her to tell him to get out. But Ava simply dropped her face into her hands.

"I'll be going," Boyd whispered. He turned to go. He wouldn't regret, he told himself. This afternoon would live in his memory as the best of all times.

"If you are going after them, I'm coming, too," Ava growled.

Boyd turned, surprised. Then shocked. "What? No, Ava. That's not what I meant. I meant that I'll pack my things and go. I'll take the money and give it to them," Boyd said, resigned.

"The hell you will. You are not going anywhere Boyd." Ava sighed. "I'm not letting you go that easy. I can't, not now. Unless _you_ want to…" A tight place in Ava's heart squeezed tighter. No regrets, she told herself.

"I'll never want to leave you, Ava. Never."

"Good." Ava smiled, a hard little smile, more pleased than she wanted to show. The tight place was gone, now, but it was replaced with a burning fire.

"And like hell you'll give that money to those bastards. It's gonna take at least half to fix up this place again."

"Ava, they said that they will come after us. I can't allow that. They'll hurt you."

A gleam Boyd had rarely seen shown in Ava's eyes. "Let 'em try."

"Ava…"

"I don't plan on waiting for them."

Stalking into her bedroom, Ava grabbed her shotgun. "Call him back. I've got something for him. But it sure as hell ain't money."

_**~The End, For Now~**_

_Thanks for your patience. Things are moving faster now, so I should have more time to come back to my Boyd and Ava story. It'll probably wrap up in a few more chapters, since the television show finally has them together now, and apparently embarking upon a life of crime. I'd like to start a new story from that point after I finish this one up._

_Please review. Hearing from you makes it all worth it. ~vkeithley. _


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